Occupations · Office and Administrative Support
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants
Provide high-level administrative support by conducting research, preparing statistical reports, and handling information requests, as well as performing routine administrative functions such as preparing correspondence, receiving visitors, arranging conference calls, and scheduling meetings. May also train and supervise lower-level clerical staff.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 43-6011.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 118% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $83,270 | 79,590 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $80,340 | 22,660 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $81,130 | 12,790 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $83,130 | 12,610 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | $101,130 | 11,920 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $78,340 | 9,510 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $75,860 | 9,260 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $77,690 | 8,960 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $73,510 | 8,610 |
| Austin-Round Rock, TX | $66,140 | 8,530 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $77,280 | 7,250 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $75,110 | 7,070 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: High school diploma or equivalent · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- Manage and maintain executives' schedules.
- Process payroll information.
- Make travel arrangements for executives.
- Prepare invoices, reports, memos, letters, financial statements, and other documents, using word processing, spreadsheet, database, or presentation software.
- Coordinate and direct office services, such as records, departmental finances, budget preparation, personnel issues, and housekeeping, to aid executives.
- Answer phone calls and direct calls to appropriate parties or take messages.
- Prepare responses to correspondence containing routine inquiries.
- Open, sort, and distribute incoming correspondence, including faxes and email.
- Greet visitors and determine whether they should be given access to specific individuals.
- Prepare agendas and make arrangements, such as coordinating catering for luncheons, for committee, board, and other meetings.
- Perform general office duties, such as ordering supplies, maintaining records management database systems, and performing basic bookkeeping work.
- Conduct research, compile data, and prepare papers for consideration and presentation by executives, committees, and boards of directors.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2017-07
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2017-07
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
Tasks O*NET flags as emerging
- Keep track of employees' time.
O*NET 30.3 emerging tasks
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning. 8 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.
Now listed 46
No longer listed 23
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| executive assistant | 3343.3 | exact |
| secretary | 4120.1 | close |
| legal administrative assistant | 3342.2 | close |
| management assistant | 3343.4 | close |
| administrative assistant | 3343.1 | close |
| parliamentary assistant | 2422.9 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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